PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE: “Unbroken Til He Comes”
By: Ron Woodrum
In May 1897, the great American humorist and author Samuel Clemens, best known for his pen name, Mark Twain, was in London. He was on a round-the-world speaking tour to raise money to pay off some debts due to some unsuccessful investments and publishing ventures. While in London, someone started the rumor that Twain was gravely ill, on his deathbed, and was dying bankrupt! Then came the rumor that he had actually died. It was even reported in one American newspaper! May 27th Frank Marshall White, correspondent for the New York Journal, was commissioned to determine the truth of these rumors. He sent a cable to England to get a response from Twain. On May 31st Twain wrote back his response. On June 2, 1897 White wrote: “Mark Twain was undecided whether to be amused or annoyed about the reports that he was dying in poverty in London…The great humorist, while not very robust, is in the best of health. He said, ‘I can understand perfectly how the report of my illness got about, I have even heard on good authority that I was dead. James Ross Clemens, a cousin of mine, was seriously ill two or three weeks ago in London but is well now. The report of my illness grew out of his illness-THE REPORT OF MY DEATH WAS GREATLY EXAGERATED!’ ” A few years ago I had a similar experience. I was with my wife at Wal Mart. I bumped into someone that I had supervised at Milliken. He looked like he had seen a ghost! He said, “I thought you died a couple of years ago! I read your obituary in the Decatur paper!” (He had actually read the obituary of my cousin Robert Woodrum…not Ronald Woodrum). We were close to the same age! I told him that I was very much alive, and “the report of my demise had also been greatly exaggerated!”. I am not sure I convinced him. But imagine being pronounced dead. Being reported Killed In Action. Even having the president of the United States contact your parents with condolences! That actually happened to WWII war hero Louis Zamperini. When Zamperini’s aircraft The Green Hornet was hit, it went down in 1943. No survivors were located. He was pronounced dead. President Roosevelt sent condolences to his parents in 1944. The report of Louie’s demise was greatly exaggerated! He went on to live for another 70 years, dying July 2, 2014, at the age of 97. He and two other crew members drifted for 47 days, battling starvation, and shark attacks. One died after 33 days. Louie and pilot Phillips finally reached the Marshall Islands, only to be immediately captured by the Japanese. The story of Zamperini’s POW survival is told in the 2014 movie Unbroken. He and several other POW’s suffered greatly at the hands of the Japanese. They managed to survive the best they could. Major Greg, “Pappy” Boyington, in his book Baa Baa Black Sheep, tells how Zamperini shared Italian recipes with prisoners to help them dream of rescue and return to normal while trying to keep their minds off the food and conditions in prison. Louie had been an Olympic hero in the 1936 Olympics. He was singled out by the leader of the prison guard Mutsuhiro “the Bird” Watanable and suffered greatly. Louie and the rest of the prisoners lived each day holding on the promise of General Douglas MacArthur, who said, “I Will Return”. One day, while in camp, trying to hold on, the sky filled with a cloud of airplanes, with the red, white, and blue stars and stripes…Their trust was not disappointed!
After the war, Louie suffered nightmares and PTSD. He tried to deal with it with alcohol but was unsuccessful. He wife Cynthia invited him to attend a Billy Graham Crusade in 1949. He attended the same crusade that saw Stuart Hamlin come to Christ. The same crusade that saw Mobster Jim Vaus find new life in Christ. Louie Zapperini, remembering his prayers to the Lord while drifting at sea, and being delivered, committed his life to Christ. He became a Christian evangelist. He also was used of the Lord in forgiving those who tortured him during his POW days. He even wrote a letter to Mutsuhiro Watanable forgiving him and telling him about Jesus. No response ever came. Four days before his 81st Birthday Zamperini ran a leg in the Olympic Torch relay for the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, not far from the POW camp where he had been held. In 2012 he appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and talked of his Olympics, WWII, and his faith. In October 2018 there is a Sequel to Unbroken, titled Path To Redemption, by the makers of God Is Not Dead. The film is a faith-based film that picks up where the first left off. Billy Graham’s grandson Will will play the part of Graham, at the Crusade where Zamperini comes to faith. It is expected to be a film to reach the audience with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our Savior promised to return to rescue us! Sometimes it gets hard trying to remain faithful to Him while the world. the flesh, and the devil seeks to defeat us. Jesus addressed this very thing in our message today. Jesus, in a chapter describing the faith of the tortured widow, who refused to grow weary, but kept on trusting until she was delivered, asked the question-“When the Son of Man Comes to Deliver His Own-will He find that kind of Faith? That Kind of Faithfulness?” That is the Question of the New Millennium! Only you and I can answer that question.